"There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it. But you do not stand alone."

Thursday, February 23, 2006

It Needs To Be Said

And I feel a particular obligation to say it, given that I've been posting on free speech a lot lately. But since others have said it so well, I will just quote them, adding my "amen":

David Irving was recently sentenced to three years in prison for Holocaust denial. The man is a moral idiot. He is a Holocaust denier, racist and a modern Nazi sympathizer. But he ought not be in jail. I say that not because I respect his views in any way--they are intellectually and morally bankrupt. I say that not out of any personal sympathy for him--he is loathsome. I say that he ought not be in prison because speaking loathsome thoughts should not be a legal offense in a free society. The government of a free society should not police the loathsome expressions of its citizenty. Irving should be socially ostracized and intellectually ridiculed, but not subject to legal sanction. -- Sebastian Holsclaw (via)

Precisely. In addition, Ed Brayton notes that "Austria seems quite intent on engaging in the very fascist behavior they allegedly want to prevent with such laws." Well put.